FA Minutes 09/11/24

Faculty Assembly Meeting Minutes
September 11, 2024
1:00 pm
Pavilion

Faculty Assembly is open to a general college audience, including administrators, but only FA members may vote. Faculty, including library faculty and all full-time employees contractually obligated to teach are FA members as defined by our bylaws.

*FA Secretary position is currently open. Meeting minutes taken by Jeff Ellsworth.

Agenda:

Approval of Minutes (4/24/2024)

Faculty Assembly President’s Report:

• Reminder to subscribe to the FAEC Google calendar (faec.ramapo@gmail.com)
• FA Secretary position is open. Tenure not required.
• Revised ARC Manual is posted and should be followed. Now operating on rolling submission basis, but still important to begin early. Reach out to your ARC Unit Representative for assistance in preparing submissions.
• Faculty Handbook Revision Committee to begin work in October.
  Membership: FAEC (1), AFT (1), MFSA (1), FA (2, elected at 10/9 FA meeting), Provost’s Office (Joyce Shim), ER (Jenn Hicks-McGowan)
• Faculty Scholarship Symposium Series
  First symposium from 10:30-12:00 on Wednesday, October 30. Theme will be Undergraduate Research: Success Stories and Lessons learned. Interested faculty presenters should contact Ken McMurdy, Provost Middleton or their dean.

College President’s Report:

• Gratitude and excitement for the coming year
• Welcome first year class. 3 S’s: Size, Selectivity and Social Mobility
• Largest EOF class – 134 scholars
• Growing number of First Gen scholars
• Strong turnout at Arching/Welcome Week events
• Importance of strategic partnerships
• Emphasis on civil discourse, deepening understanding and empathy, as a way to promote democratic ideals and citizenship

Provost’s Report:

• Continue our work to strengthen teaching and learning as the center of Ramapo. Want to be thought partners in how we continue to build a vibrant campus culture focused on learning.
• Welcoming 8 full time faculty members
• Thanks to our deans, and to faculty leaders/directors – Erin Augis, Rebecca Root, Rikki Abzug, Michael Bitz, Monika Giacoppe, also thank committee chairs, conveners; and to Ken, Jeff and FAEC
• Welcome Vice Provost Joyce Shim — will lead on several initiatives
• Convocation – speaker Victoria Christopher Murray; thanks to Ken Goldstein, Peter Campbell, Ariela Castillo, Donna Schweizer
• Welcoming Employee Relations with Exec Dir. Jenn Hicks-McGowan into the TLC core
• Changes in the international office — will report to Vice Provost, beginning a new search for Study Abroad Director, will be announcing a Faculty Fellow opportunity
• Research initiatives (with Bernie Connors): Congrats on grants submitted and awarded; Research and Engagement Academy, Writing Circles, Research Committee, Faculty Scholarship Symposium Series, aligning Foundation funding with priorities
• TAS transition
• Nursing expansion and additional funds from the state to support the growth in the program, including a new science lab

Introductions:

• Joyce Shim, Vice Provost
• New Faculty

Presentations/Discussion Items:

• GECCo Updates (slides)
  Chris Reali, GECCo Chair
• CAP Implementation (slides)
  Stephanie Sarabia, CAP Implementation Team
• FRC: Planning for AY 2024-25 Programming (slides)
  Rikki Abzug, FRC Director
• Academic Freedom: Policy and Practice (slides)
  Ken McMurdy, FA President; Michael Middleton, Provost

Voting Items: (112 eligible voters)

• GECCo Membership
  Resolution: Add College-Wide Academic Assessment Committee (CWAAC) Director to GECCo membership.
  Rationale: The GECCo Chair is automatically on the College-Wide Academic Assessment Committee, but the CWAAC Director is not officially on GECCo. This move will serve to “close the loop” as well as facilitate greater coordination between the two groups.
  Results: Resolution passed with 69 approve, 1 not approve, and 2 abstain.

Formal meeting adjourned at 2:30 pm, followed by Faculty Forum “listening session” for concerns, suggestions, and reflections on the meeting.

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